


We Will Not Be Monsters

by SnowQueenOfMyHeart



Series: Casselsa Collection [25]
Category: Frozen (2013), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Betrayal, Depression, F/F, Heartbreak, I'm so sorry, Lesbian Cassandra (Disney: Tangled), Lesbian Elsa (Disney), OTP Feels, Originally Posted on Tumblr, References to Frozen the Broadway Musical, Spoilers, Suicidal Thoughts, This is going to be hard to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-05-13 17:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19255708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowQueenOfMyHeart/pseuds/SnowQueenOfMyHeart
Summary: Inspired by a work of fanart done by a good friend; please go check it out on Tumblr! Credit goes to paola-uchiha-haruno for the art and for providing me the excuse to write this story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> MAJOR SPOILERS FOR RAPUNZEL'S TANGLED ADVENTURE! If you have not seen the Season 2 finale of this show, I advise that you do, watch clips of the key moments, or at least look up screenshots for context.

_You have to be careful who you trust._

The words rang in Elsa’s ears when she heard what had happened in the Dark Kingdom. When a heartbroken, sobbing Rapunzel shared with the princesses the events that had just transpired. How she had reached the end of her journey and believed she was going to find her destiny - only to have it literally snatched away by the one person she had come to trust and rely on ever since she had returned to Corona. And the worst part of it all was that she had no idea what pushed Cassandra to take the Moonstone for herself.

But she did.

Not only had she seized the stone, but she had become one with it. Implanted into her chest, just over her heart. That’s what Rapunzel could recall. And then her appearance had changed. And the way she spoke.

And with each word of this horrifying tale, Elsa’s breathing grew more labored, her mind spinning, eyes losing focus, her body feeling like it was falling… falling… falling…

 

* * *

 

“I still can’t believe she did that,” Belle remarked sadly.

“Neither can Rapunzel,” Pocahontas added.

The princesses were in their common room, lounging about in their comfy wear. Except the mood was anything but comfy.

Rapunzel was over in a corner, nestled with Ariel and Jasmine who were brushing her long golden hair and whispering quiet reassurances to her. The other girls sat around the center of the room, trying not to speak too loudly.

“Shame,” Merida interjected, slumping in her chair. “I always liked that girl. Real feisty one.”

“So did I,” Mulan added in agreement. “She knew her way around a sword - and about a dozen other weapons.”

“Did no one find it strange how she was so closed off, though?” Cinderella asked, almost afraid to bring up the topic.

“People are just like that, sometimes,” said Belle pensively.

“That doesn’t explain why she took the stone and absorbed its power,” Mulan pointed out.

“Who knows?” Anna shrugged helplessly. “We’ve been wondering why it happened and no one knows for certain.”

“What about Elsa?” Moana asked cautiously. “Is she… how is she?”

The room went quiet, all eyes on Anna who seemed to be struggling with how to answer her friend. Finally she settled on:

“She just needs some time.”

 

* * *

 

 

It’s been over a month. Almost two months since the news broke.

Preparing for a new movie was hard enough. But this…

The door to her room is frosted over. Snowflakes hang suspended in midair. The windows are coated with ice. And in the middle of this cold, dark place, she lies curled up on her bed, unable to move.

Elsa hugged herself tightly, desperately, old habits rearing their ugly head again. But this time, the depression is not brought about by her own powers. Sadly, the self-loathing is back with a vengeance.

How could she be so stupid? Did she seriously believe she was worthy of love? That she could be loved or deserved the romance she had heard about so often? That someone like… like  _her_  would possibly love a monster like Elsa? No, she was not a monster. Anna had proven that years ago, but the demons remained, haunting her nightmares and filling her head with doubts.

It was ironic. The Snow Queen falling for the Lady-in-Waiting with a personality comparable to a statue. The woman with literal ice in her veins falling for a woman equally as cold. Except Elsa knew love and felt love. And now, she didn’t know if she…

If Cassandra felt the same way. If she felt anything.

What a fool she was.

Why did Elsa dare to believe she actually loved this woman? That she could be loved in return? It all seemed like a cruel joke to her now. The way she had fallen for a strong, badass woman who wound up betraying her best friend. A woman whose name had been popping up with greater frequency among the villains as of late, the speakers almost giddy at potentially welcoming a new member to their ranks. Of course, there had been many reminders that her story was not over. “Give it time, she might be okay in the end.”

It didn’t matter to Elsa. She had trusted Cassandra. She had given her a chance knowing full well she did not know this woman or whether it was smart to trust in someone so mysterious. She dared to hope this warrior woman might open herself up and prove the skeptics wrong. Prove that she was worthy of love. Prove that Elsa wasn’t crazy to go for someone who seemed at times unlovable. Now it felt like it was all in vain.

From what she had heard of Anna’s own story, this must have been what it felt like for her precious little sister when Hans revealed his true colors. The helplessness and feeling of being duped. That cut deep. Elsa hated being vulnerable, and yet she had made herself vulnerable to this woman, hoping for something she once believed would never happen or never should happen.

She just wanted to die.

Tear streaks covered her pale cheeks. She had cried so much since that night she heard. She didn’t know much longer she could cry, but if thirteen years of self-imposed isolation were any indication, she could keep it going for a very long time. Only now, her heart was broken - no, shattered - by someone who she feared would never love her again.

Her body heaved with gasping breaths, her arms squeezing tighter as if she could remedy her pain with a hug. Like that ever helped. Her hair was a disheveled mess, the ice normally holding it back now absent. With great effort, she lifted her eyes up to focus on an object by her bedside stand.

A single rose, currently frosted over from Elsa’s anxiety and depression. An unfortunate reminder of what she once had - and feared was gone forever.

The tears welled up and she succumbed to more sobbing. Frantically grabbing a pillow, she clutched it pathetically to her stomach and wailed into it, not caring if the frost claimed it as well. Her world was cold, lifeless, and devoid of love. Not even Anna could save her from these dark depths. There was no point. She was a fool for daring to hope she could love another, and be loved in return.

She cried until, exhausted, she fell into a fitful sleep. Discarded on the floor, a picture lay facing up, an agonizing reminder of the reality she now had to face - one she hoped she would never have to confront directly.

A demonic figure glared out of the picture. A woman clad in black, her skin fused with the black rocks surrounding her, hair a brilliant light blue and eyes that matched, and an expression that terrified Elsa so badly she had screamed and thrown the picture across the room when she had seen it. The cause of the last few days of crying. A figure that was both Cassandra and yet utterly unrecognizable from the woman Elsa thought she loved.

_Be careful who you trust._


	2. Chapter 2

“Elsa?”

Silence.

“Elsa, please.”

Anna knew she had to be in there. The door was coated with frost.

“Just let me in.” This time, her voice cracked. It was painful to see her big sister having regressed so far.

She heard shuffling footsteps. Then the door creaked open. Anna looked up and her heart shattered at the broken look on Elsa’s face.

Without hesitation, she swept Elsa up in a tight embrace, feeling Elsa’s arms cling desperately to her back as she buried her face in Anna’s neck.

For a moment, they just stood there. Then Anna felt more than heard the muffled sob from Elsa as she nearly gave out. Anna gently sank to the floor, careful not to let go of her distraught sister. Resting her back against the wall, she shivered unconsciously at the chill in the room. Before Elsa could even think about apologizing for her magic causing Anna discomfort, the younger hugged tighter to reassure the elder that she was fine.

A few minutes passed, the room getting noticeably warmer. Although patches of frost remained here and there.

“I’m such an idiot.”

“No.”

“I am.”

“You’re not.”

“Anna...”

“Elsa. My sister is not an idiot.”

Elsa shifted so she could look up at Anna. Her eyes were so sad, her cheeks red from crying so much for so long.

Anna gently brushed the newly formed tears away with a thumb. She let her hand cup Elsa’s cheek and it soon was enveloped in Elsa’s pale hand. A small smile dared to appear as she watched Elsa melt into the contact.

“I love you so much.”

Elsa’s eyes opened, the fear returning.

“Does she?”

Elsa didn’t have to say the name; it sounded like she couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud. And that made Anna both sad and angry at the same time: sad that such heartbreak was inflicted upon her already fragile sister; angry that Cassandra seemed to be pulling a Hans.

Except she was no Hans. Not according to Rapunzel. Cassandra sounded like the embodiment of a cool, kick-ass friend who was always up for adventure. The times Anna had seen her, she was blown away by how handsome and talented she was. It was so sweet to see Elsa get along with this woman so well, even to the point of openly dating. Sure, Cassandra always seemed to be hiding stuff from Elsa. But she apparently had done the same with Rapunzel.

For weeks, Anna had been going over everything to try and figure out why on earth Cassandra took this Moonstone and supposedly betrayed her best friend - and by extension, her kingdom. There were lots of pieces missing, things that Rapunzel knew but did not wish to share in the aftermath of the events. And of course Anna had been told to just wait along with everyone else; they would find out soon enough.

But soon enough wouldn’t fix Elsa’s broken heart. She needed answers NOW. Something to get Elsa out of this latest bout of depression. As her mind returned to the question at hand, Anna glanced away as she pondered what to say that could possibly help. She had no answers. So the truth seemed sufficient.

“I don’t know, Elsa.”

Anna rubbed the cool shoulder she held as Elsa sank back into the awkward embrace. She took the silence as an opportunity to think, something rather rare for a woman as spontaneous as herself. But her big sister was hurt and confused; perhaps there was something she did not see when she heard the news. Was there anything in Cassandra’s behavior that Anna could explain in a way that would get Elsa out of her prison of fear and self-loathing?

Then it hit her. It was dangerous, to be sure. Risky. And it could backfire.

But it just might work.

“Elsa?”

“Hm?”

“When I first saw you at the ice palace, you gave me a reason we could not be together again. Do you remember?”

Anna felt her sister tense up. Yep, just as she had feared, digging up the past would not be received well by Elsa.

“I do,” Elsa whispered in a scared voice.

“And what was it?” Anna pressed gently, as if afraid she would spook a timid animal.

“I...I’m...just trying to...protect you.” The words came out slowly, labored as Elsa cringed at the memory of how she thought pushing her sunshine away would somehow make everything better.

“Yes, you did,” Anna said quickly before Elsa could get mired in her memories. “Everything you did - all those years in isolation - you were trying to protect me. Because you believed that you had to. Even if that cost you your life.”

She looked down at Elsa, who was watching her with trepidation now, wondering where on earth this conversation was going.

“So...considering that we know Cassandra made a big deal out of protecting Rapunzel, is it possible that...” Anna paused, took a deep breath, and continued, “...that she took the Moonstone in order to protect her friend?”

Anna could see the gears turning in Elsa’s head. That was a good sign.

“But...but Rapunzel said...she was nothing like what she was before,” Elsa murmured, the sadness threatening to overtake her. “She said that...Cassandra said...you...you have to...”

“Be careful who you trust,” Anna finished, squeezing Elsa again. “I know, and it sounds like she was no longer the same. But how do we know that was still her?”

Elsa sat up, staring incredulously at her younger sister.

“I mean, she did absorb some powerful magic rock into her chest, and the pictures we have...” she glanced sadly at the discarded picture lying on the floor, “they seem to show the Moonstone being placed directly over her heart. So we can assume she is not entirely herself at this point.”

“Anna, whatever you’re trying to say, it’s not helping,” Elsa interjected, looking away as she began to wrap her arms around herself.

But Anna was not going to let Elsa close in on herself again. She grabbed both of her sister’s hands - cold be damned - and waited until Elsa was meeting her determined gaze.

“Elsa, you gave your life to keep me safe. To keep your kingdom safe from your powers. From you. All that time, you believed it was better to throw away your life just so I could live mine. But we know that never was the answer. I couldn’t bear to live in a world where you weren’t, and I still can’t. The reason I’m telling you this...” she closed her eyes and inhaled before saying, “...is because maybe, just maybe, Cassandra is doing the same for Rapunzel. I know it’s not the same and we don’t know the full story, but think about it. Rapunzel has been going on this journey to find the source of these mysterious black rocks that have destroyed everything in their path, and she doesn’t know if she will come back! Of course Cassandra would be upset! She considers Rapunzel her best friend and has already done so much for her, and it’s not just because she’s a princess. So if she had reason to believe that this Moonstone could take Rapunzel’s life - or harm her in any way - then it makes sense that Cassandra would interfere if she believed it was the only way to protect her. Even if it meant sacrificing her own life.”

When Anna finished, she watched and waited for Elsa to respond. It seemed that she couldn’t. The realization that maybe, in a tragic way, she had something in common with Cassandra was leaving her a little rattled. No one knew better than Elsa the feeling of abandoning everything she held dear if she thought it necessary to protect the ones she loved.

But then there was Cassandra’s behavior leading up to it. The way she pushed Rapunzel away at times and, more disturbingly, how she claimed she was fulfilling her destiny as she took the Moonstone. Maybe it was all an act. Maybe Cassandra had turned evil. Maybe...

“How can I know?” Elsa asked pathetically. “I just don’t know if I can trust her...”

Her face fell at these words. Looking down at their still-clasped hands, Elsa wondered what she could do.

“Elsa?”

Sapphire eyes met turquoise.

With complete sincerity, Anna said, “If I had listened to the world - if I had chosen to believe everyone around me before and during the events of your coronation - I would have been out there among the crowds, calling you a monster.” She frowned, both at the memory of that insult and at Elsa’s visible cringe. “I could have left the castle a long time ago. I could have given up trying to get my sister back. I could have just stopped hoping that you would ever love me. But I didn’t.” She gripped Elsa’s hands firmly as she fought to get the words out. “I had faith, Elsa. Faith that you were worth fighting for, climbing a mountain for, and yes, dying for. Elsa, I did not abandon you because I believed you were a good person. I never lost hope that you were the sister I always loved and that you might one day love me again. I didn’t give up. So please, if you love Cassandra, don’t give up on her.”

The tears were falling down her cheeks as she finished, and Elsa was now crying again. Only now, she felt the spark of hope in her chest as she realized Anna was right. There was still a chance that the woman she loved was still present. And why should she listen to those claiming Cassandra was a lost cause, or that she must have been evil or selfish all along? Weren’t those the same criticisms once leveled at Elsa for her actions? Elsa wasn’t a fool; she heard the whispers and knew what some thought of her.

Of course she did not know if she could trust Cassandra anymore. Or that she could hope to get her girlfriend back. But as she mulled over everything Anna had told her, one thing became clear: she had to try.

 

* * *

 

In a dark room filled with black rocks jutting out in every direction, a solitary figure paced about. She seemed disturbed, uneasy. She kept clenching her fists as she attempted to breathe normally, but the effort was taxing. There was little lighting in the room, except her brilliant light blue hair practically shone in the darkness. And the rocks seemed to glow every now and then as she approached a cluster of them.

She stopped. Hands gripping her head, she squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth as if the most horrible sound in the world was ringing in her ears. But there was no sound in the cavernous room. Only in her head.

Voices from her past:

_I don’t need someone to keep me safe._

_Tell me, lady-in-waiting, what are you waiting for?_

_In our defense, we never listen to you._

_Enough, Cassandra!_

Voices that seemed all too real:

_So much potential._

_How could you betray us like that?_

_What were you thinking?_

_You are not the daughter I raised._

_I expected better from you - we all did._

_You are so selfish, Cassandra. Always trying to advance yourself at any cost._

_And to think that I trusted you! I put my life in your hands! I see what you are now..._

_Monster._

_MONSTER!_

A primal shriek.

New rocks shoot up in jagged formations. The woman drops to her knees, her fists hitting the stone floor as she hunches over. She gasps for air, as if the act of breathing is extremely difficult for her.

A single tear falls to the floor.

Cassandra opens her eyes - her electric blue eyes that match her hair - and notices a piece of black rock lying just in front of her. It’s broken off from the others. She picks it up with a shaking hand, turning it over as if seeing it for the first time. Her reflection is barely visible in the object’s shiny surface, but she can see what she has become.

The voices in her head tell her this is good, that she was meant for this. She can no longer tell what voices are her own or the Moonstone or some other sinister force. It’s all convoluted, shouting and screaming at her non-stop. The pain in her chest and her body are unbearable, yet she continues to exist thanks to the magical element embedded into her chest.

And there’s another dark thought. It’s new. She hasn’t felt this one before. But the longer she spends in this state, the more appealing it seems.

The rock in her hand looks real friendly.

She pricks her finger with the point. Nothing. It won’t even penetrate her new rock body suit.

Angry, she draws the rock to her wrist and considers slicing it, but the rock hovers a mere inch above her skin. She can’t do it. The voices are clouding her mind again, a mix of dissuading her from deviating from her destiny and telling her to just end it.

The rock is tossed aside. It clatters along the ground, echoing in the room. The sound is replaced with muffled sobs as Cassandra curls in on herself and cries herself to sleep. Nightmares plague her mind.

_Monsters don’t feel pain._

So why does it all hurt so much?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay; what a coincidence that I finish this right before Season 3 of RTA starts! I figured this needed to be done before Cassandra's reasons were revealed, so please enjoy!

A voice calls to her in the night. It’s not the mysterious voice she has been hearing lately tugging her to places unknown. No, this one is far more mournful. As if its owner is crying out in pain.

Elsa swears it is only in her head. But later she sees a flash of her…well, she doesn’t know if she can call her a lover. Yet the face appears all the same, and it is nothing like the one of anger she has seared into her memory.

Disturbed by this image of Cassandra looking as if she is in extreme pain and crying for help, Elsa rises out of bed and walks over to the window. A full moon is out tonight. How fitting. She wrings her hands together and chews on her lip as she debates whether this is the moment. Whether now is the time to find Cassandra and get answers. And to see if she can save her friend – no, her _girlfriend_. She can’t give up on her yet. Not when there is so much hidden in shadow.

She opts for her classic ice dress, figuring it might help to be easily noticed. Now she must hope that the woman she seeks will receive her graciously, if at all.

* * *

 

The nights when the moon is fullest are the hardest. As if the opal in her chest can sense it and intensifies its power. Cassandra slams her fist onto the ground, wincing from the pain shooting through her body. All she wants is one night of decent rest, but she has never managed to sleep peacefully ever since she grabbed the Moonstone and melded with it. And this night is just as bad as the others: more pain in her chest, dreams of what used to be taunting her, voices pulling her in every direction and vying for her attention.

She thought she knew what she was doing when she took the Moonstone. Now, she is not so sure. Was it worth this? Was it truly worth the pain and agony she had to endure while her friends left her behind? Perhaps the voice she heard in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow had been lying all along. Maybe she was duped. The fear that it could be true only made her clench her teeth in anger.

A hiss. Clutching the spot over her heart, Cassandra groaned as if she had been stabbed. It wasn’t the first time she felt such pain.

Deciding she could not sleep, Cassandra rose and ventured away from the cluster of black rocks, hoping that exposure to the night air might reinvigorate her. As she passed one particularly large rock, she glanced at her reflection.

A pale woman stared back.

She once considered it possible that the Moonstone was draining the life from her veins. Judging by her reflection – if it were accurate – that probably was the case. It didn’t matter. She made her choice, for better or worse, and now she merely had to wait for the ending to come.

At least she could savor the night one last time before retreating to her fortress of isolation.

* * *

 

Whatever force compelled Elsa to go into that dark cave that night despite every obvious indicator that it was a bad idea would forever remain a mystery. She did not fully understand how she was able to find this location and why her soul seemed to stir at the presence of a foreign magic. All she knew was that her journey somehow brought her here to this rather remote location, a place she had never seen before.

She tries to get adjusted to the darkness, but decides a little extra light is necessary. Using her powers to create an orb of light in the palm of her hand, she lifts it up and scans the cave for any sign of what could be here. At first, there appears to be nothing. Then her eyes notice something strange about the rock formations in the cave – as if they were unnaturally jagged…

As she walks further into the cave, she sees more of these unusual rocks, their jet-black forms protruding from every angle but mostly pointed outwards as if to ward off intruders. They become more frequent and denser as she ventures deeper, wondering if they will block her path. But they don’t. Instead, there appears to be a clearing right in the middle of the thickest patch of these rocks. Elsa examines this empty space and concludes that it must be where the subject of her search has taken up residence. But where is she?

Turning around to see if Cassandra is hiding somewhere, Elsa’s eyes fall on a single black rock jutting out from the darkness. Curiosity draws her closer, the light illuminating its shiny surface. She gazes at the rock, then reaches out with her free hand, slowly inching an outstretched finger…

“AH!”

Before she can touch it, a wave of panic grips her mind and her body shudders. Her powers do not take kindly to whatever magic this is, and in defense of their mistress, compel her to not reach out again. Elsa retracts her hand, the sound of her breathing echoing in the cavernous space. She scolds herself for not thinking about the possible dangers of touching these black rocks, even though she suspects their magical properties might not deal any lasting harm to her. But all things considered, she had suffered enough at the hands of her own magic; there was no sense in exposing herself to harm from yet another source.

Looking around the cave again, Elsa debates what her next course of action should be. If Cassandra is not here, then she might return shortly. Something in her gut told her that the woman she sought had made this cave her temporary home – a feeling that was all too relatable for the Snow Queen.

* * *

 

The night air does indeed prove to be refreshing and the moon restores her weary spirit. It seems the Moonstone really did have some sort of connection to its namesake, and Cassandra feels a little more invigorated. As she walks back to her cave feeling more satisfied with herself, she fashions a sword out of the black rocks and slashes her way through the undergrowth. Oh, how wonderful it feels to be swinging a sword again. She chuckles as she flips her makeshift weapon into the air and tosses it into the entrance of the cave.

A small gasp in the darkness is not what she expected.

Tensing up, she reaches out and manages to make the rocks glow, lighting up the place.

“Show yourself!”

Emerging from a corner that is not covered in pointy rocks, a figure in an ice blue dress. That appears to be made of ice. Almost as if…

“Hey, Cass.”

Cassandra freezes. It can’t be. Of all the people to find her, it had to be…

“Elsa?”

A blue orb appears, and Elsa is illuminated by the icy magic sitting in her palm. She looks sad to see her girlfriend, clearly still coming to terms with her new look.

“How did you find me?” Cassandra asks, more confused than angry.

After a moment of silence, Elsa tells her the truth. “I don’t know.”

Loosening up a bit, Cassandra glances away. “And why did you come here?”

“Because…” Elsa pauses due to a lump forming in her throat. She never really expected to get this far. “…because I want to know.”

“Well, there’s nothing to know,” Cassandra snaps back, walking briskly by as if that was the end of their conversation.

If Elsa were anything like her old self, she would have left then and there, knowing that heavy, unspoken desire of wanting to be left alone. Only now, she knew better. And she could tell in the tone of Cassandra’s voice that she wanted to be left alone just like the Snow Queen once did.

“Please don’t shut me out,” Elsa pleads softly, the irony of that phrase evident as the words passed her lips.

Cassandra pauses, refusing to look back.

“You’d be better off without me.”

Elsa’s eyes widen in shock, and she can feel the sadness building inside. “Why?”

“Elsa, just get out.”

She would not. She needed something. Anything.

“Cass?” Her voice cracks as the tears welled up.

Cassandra squeezes her eyes shut. The voices start murmuring in her head, either telling her to send her unwelcome guest away by any means necessary or mocking her for messing up _again_. Her fists clench, teeth gritting as she struggles to not lose her cool.

“Elsa, please,” she winces as the Moonstone senses her growing frustration. “You need to leave.”

“And I will,” Elsa replies, doing everything she can to avoid crying. “But…just tell me why you did it. I have to know.”

“What makes you think you need to know?”

That cuts deep. Elsa is now uncertain if Cassandra really does love her anymore.

“I-I…Cass…” She can’t form a coherent sentence, words failing her as the air gets colder.

Cassandra can feel it too. Strangely, it doesn’t bother her for normal reasons; it seems like her new magical element can sense the presence of another force. Of course, she knows about Elsa’s powers. She just doesn’t register why they might matter in the moment.

Turning slowly on the spot, Cassandra looks at Elsa. Suddenly, something shifts in her mind. Like an old memory resurfacing.

“Elsa, for your own safety, I beg you to leave,” she implores shakily.

That snaps Elsa out of her grief. Now she knows where she’s heard such sentiments before. Coming from her own mouth, when she pleaded and begged her sister to get away so as to avoid being injured any further by her own dangerous powers. Considering that Cassandra’s newfound abilities include conjuring spiky black rocks that apparently are unbreakable, it seems logical that this plea is rooted in the same concern.

“I’m not afraid.” Which is a lie. Elsa is terrified of what Cassandra could do, but she tries – stupidly, perhaps – to get through to her.

“Then you’re a fool,” replies a voice that, while it sounds like Cassandra, does not possess the same tone as before.

“Maybe I am, but I still care about you even if you no longer care for me,” Elsa says with an edge in her voice.

“I don’t need your pity!” Cassandra shouts as she wheels around, glaring at her.

“Cass! What happened to you?” Elsa shouts back, her magic straining in her core as the frustration builds.

“What does it matter to you?” retorts the woman in black, pacing furiously around the cave.

“I’m your friend! Your girlfriend! At least, I was!” Elsa exclaims, gesturing for emphasis.

Her mind clouded with rage, Cassandra points at the forest of black rocks now glowing ominously. “Look at them! Do you see what I’m capable of? Do you have any idea what power I possess?!”

“No! I can’t if you won’t tell me!”

“Why should I?!” Cassandra snaps, feeling the rage take over completely. “You think you and your cute little ice display can help me deal with this?” She gestures at the Moonstone embedded into her skin. If she were in her right mind, she would notice the way Elsa’s face was now contorted into a very different look.

“You don’t know me! You don’t know what I’ve had to put up with all this time! Being the one to risk _everything_ for the princess of my kingdom only to have all my hard work tossed aside or ignored. Always overlooked and having to soldier on like nothing is wrong. Giving up your one ambition in life just so you can help someone you have only known for a couple of years deal with a problem they don’t even understand.”

With every sentence, the rocks grew brighter, and new ones sprouted up as if closing in around their mistress. All Cassandra can see is red – even though the cave is shining a brilliant light blue.

“I gave up everything for her! All I asked for was respect and a chance to prove myself! You wouldn’t understand because you’ve been born into royalty.” And with one final outburst, she screams, “You have no idea how much it stings to lose everything like I have!”

_“HOW DARE YOU!”_

A violent blast of arctic wind knocks Cassandra over and sends her sliding into the wall of black rocks. The rage is now replaced with fear as she suddenly realizes what she has just provoked.

The woman standing before her is no longer Elsa, but an enraged deity. With those three words, a blizzard of epic proportions explodes around her, blasting the roof of the cave and sending rocks in every direction. The winds howl with such ferocity, like a full-strength hurricane, as the snow pelts the rocks and blankets them in a layer of white. With the full moon shining down on them, the spectacle is truly ghastly. Cassandra cowering against the rocks; Elsa towering over her, every inch a great and powerful Snow Queen.

_“DID YOU LEARN NOTHING? HAS THAT CURSED STONE PURGED YOUR MIND OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU? I SACRIFICED EVERYTHING! I GAVE UP MY ENTIRE LIFE TO PROTECT MY KINGDOM! TO PROTECT MY SISTER WHO I NEARLY KILLED AS A CHILD! AND I STILL KILLED HER! AFTER EVERYTHING I DID, I STILL FAILED! I LOST THE ONE PERSON THAT GAVE ME A REASON TO KEEP LIVING WHEN ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS END MY MISERABLE EXISTENCE! DON’T YOU DARE TELL ME I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE PAIN OF LOSING EVERYTHING BECAUSE I ALREADY HAVE!”_

Her righteous anger spent, the blizzard subsides and eventually fades away. Elsa’s breathing is a bit labored from her dramatic display, but she manages to steady herself enough to register Cassandra’s terrified face. This is no longer the woman she dreaded all those months ago; this is someone who looks just as scared as Elsa felt all those years alone, in those dangerous moments on the North Mountain, and maybe even on the fjord.

She knows what must be done.

Stepping forward slowly so as not to spook Cassandra, Elsa’s features soften. “I’m not mad at you, Cassandra. I’m mad that you are making the same mistakes I made. You act like your burdens are yours alone to bear, that your pain and your heartache can just be buried deep inside and forgotten. But you know that you can only do that so much,” she pauses to look around at the black rocks, still coated in a layer of frost, “before it explodes. And when it does, you cause far more damage.”

Her eyes remain focused on Cassandra, but the latter is still trembling with fear. Her heart clenches because she swore that she would never use her powers to intimidate anyone like that; sadly, it felt like her best option in the moment, and it did not help that Cassandra – or Moonsandra – has touched a raw nerve with her remarks.

“I don’t want to see you suffering any more because of your mistakes. If Rapunzel can’t be there for you,” she says cautiously as she kneels just a few feet away, “then please let me help you.”

For the first time, Cassandra feels like her head is clear. She can hear Elsa and understand what she says, but her gut is telling her no. She’s so accustomed to refusing help like this, even though the circumstances are drastically different. And yet, a small voice in the back of her mind is telling her to listen for once.

“You…you can’t…”

“I can try, and that’s all I can promise.” The sincerity in Elsa’s voice is so evident, it leaves Cassandra’s bottom lip quivering. She doesn’t think Elsa can possibly help her out of this situation, and yet…

Those sapphire blue eyes, so full of cautious hope and…love?

Cassandra’s own electric blues are swimming in tears.

Elsa extends her arms and leans forward.

Accepting the invitation, Cassandra lets out a sob and lunges forward. Falling into the embrace, she breaks down completely and cries harder than she ever has in her life. Her face buried in a porcelain neck; her hands wavering at the side for a moment, before a soothing back rub from Elsa reassures her and next moment she is clinging to her girlfriend for dear life. Afraid she might accidentally claw her back, but Elsa doesn’t mind. She knows this is exactly what Cassandra needs; she’s been through this – on more occasions than she would care to count – with Anna.

Elsa continues to hold Cassandra for some time, letting her get out what has to be years of pent-up emotional baggage. All the frustration she just vented about – and what she has gleaned from Rapunzel – must be the tip of the iceberg. Sure, she knew Cassandra had some issues, but she underestimated how deep the scars were.

Finally, she hears Cassandra attempt to speak.

“I…I just…so scared of…of losing…” She struggles to articulate what has been weighing on her mind for so long now.

Fortunately for her, Elsa has some idea what she means.

“You were protecting Rapunzel.”

A slight nod against her neck.

Elsa brings her hand up to her electric blue hair and strokes it gently, somewhat amazed that it’s not rigid or stiff. “You didn’t know if she would survive taking possession of the Moonstone, and so you intervened to keep her safe.”

Another sob.

“I saw her…I saw her die. In that house. I was shown what would happen…if she took it, and I…I watched her…” Cassandra sniffs as she pulls away, furiously wiping her eyes. She stops as pale hands gently cup her cheeks and thumbs brush away the stray tears.

“You saw a vision of Rapunzel dying?” Elsa asks.

Cassandra doesn’t answer, only looking sadly into Elsa’s eyes.

“Believe me, I know what it’s like to see a vision that does not bode well for your future. Mine was a vision of a mob attacking me because of my magic. And now, you saw your best friend – and maybe someone you loved even more – suffer because of magic she did not understand.”

Cassandra tenses up at the suggestion that she harbored romantic feelings for the princess. It’s not an entirely inaccurate suggestion, but it unnerves her that Elsa would say it so casually.

“You’re not angry?”

“Why should I be? Rapunzel is quite a charming person, and you clearly care deeply about her. That’s very admirable considering how you two are completely different.” Elsa smiles a little, hoping the subject change is enough to alleviate Cassandra’s mood.

It’s not.

“I hope she hates me.”

Elsa gasps, but Cassandra ignores it. Rising to her feet, she walks over to the rocks and runs her fingers along them. “After what I did, I wouldn’t blame her if she wanted nothing to do with me.”

“Cass, don’t say that,” Elsa pleads as she gets to her feet.

“Look at me!” Cassandra shouts, but not with anger in her voice. “This is what I get for protecting the princess of Corona! This is what I get for putting my life on the line to keep her safe! Look at what I can do.” She flings out an arm and a rock spikes out of the ground within mere inches of her fingertips. “I’m nothing more than a monster. And I hope she hates me for it.”

_Monster._

Once again, Cassandra manages to strike a nerve for Elsa. But the Snow Queen is not angry this time. Her face falls as she remembers the way she told herself she was a monster that could not and should not be worthy of love. Sometimes, those old demons reemerged in their ugly forms, but now she had someone there to help shoo them away.

“Cassandra, I know this is terrifying. Having powers that appear to cause mayhem, that only cause fear in those around you is not a pleasant experience to say the least. When you can create such menacing things…” With a swift motion, she flings her arm out and a burst of magic hits the ground, causing several ice spikes to appear to match the black rocks. “It’s easy to believe that you are only a force of destruction and nothing good can come of it. But that happens if you give in to your powers and let that fear control you.”

Noticing that Cassandra is fixated on the ice spikes, Elsa gently reaches out to take her hand. “I don’t want you to let fear win. It nearly cost me my life and my sister’s. I love you too much to let that happen to you. So please, let me help you control your powers.”

Cassandra looks at her hand intertwined with Elsa’s, then at Elsa’s face. She tries to think of what to say, her mouth opening and closing several times.

“How can you love me? After what I’ve done…and what I may yet do?”

Elsa has asked the same question of Anna. It’s funny how similar this all feels, and remarkable how much she has grown in the process.

“Faith, I suppose. Just having faith that you are worthy of love and that you will be fine.”

Cassandra shakes her head, shoulders shaking as she feels the tears stinging her eyes. Elsa reaches out again, waiting for Cassandra to reciprocate if she wishes. She does.

“Thank you,” Cassandra murmurs hoarsely. “I…don’t deserve this.”

“Yes, you do,” Elsa counters firmly, squeezing her before pulling back. “You deserve love because you can and do love. I know you do.”

Cassandra gives a watery laugh. She really was lucky to fall for such a compassionate woman. Taking a deep breath, she looks at her hands and says, “I will not be a monster.”

Elsa takes both hands into her own. “We will not be monsters.”

As their eyes meet – sapphire and electric blues – and their hands remain clasped together, the black rocks begin to glow again, along with the ice. Only this time, the aura is far less menacing and somehow, even in the cool light of the moon, a bit warmer.


End file.
